ONE HELLUVA BLOWJOB
My own power came back on around 2:30 yesterday afternoon. And yes, my cable is also working. Thanks for your concern.Considering there are still almost 2 million without electricity (AND cable), I feel quite fortunate.
What's interesting is that even though Isabel's center passed about 50 miles to my west and 100 miles from DC, areas closer in to DC seem to have been hit harder. Granted, the area where I am is much more rural, so one can argue that's there's just less to damage. But even looking at the level of tree damage, it just seems as if we took much less of a hit than those further away.
For example, I drove through Vienna and Fairfax yesterday, and there are a number of streets that are closed due to downed trees. Also, just the amount of blown leaves and small branches littering the roads is noticeably more.
This storm is a perfect example of why I'm a firm supporter of President Bush's war on trees.

SOME PEOPLE CRAVE CAFFEINE ENTIRELY TOO MUCH

DEATH, DESTRUCTION, AND STUPIDITY
At this point Isabel's death toll stands at 24. For a storm of this magnitude, that's not too bad. If we had been in some country like, say Bengladesh, it's safe to say that 400,000 people would have been swept out to sea. But that's okay, because lives there aren't as important as lives here.
Still, did those 23 people really have to die, or were they simply victims of their own foolishness? After all, Isabel's track had been amazingly well predicted for at least five days prior to landfall. One has to assume that the only people that didn't heed the authorities advice were the stupid ones who decided to stay behind and party. There's a site called Little Tiny Lies which does a hilarious job of addressing that question.
Then there are the folks who decide to set up diesel powered generators inside their houses. Perhaps an I.Q. test should be required before one is allowed to buy one of those things.